LinkedIn is adding new features yet again (on 9-24-12). This time it’s an endorsement feature. Now when you log into LinkedIn, you most likely will be asked to endorse some people that you are connected with. When I first logged in after the change, I was asked if I wanted to endorse the skills of four people, so you may see this too.
LinkedIn Endorsements
In this example, I actually went to one of my connection’s profiles and was presented with the above box where I can click on one or all of the areas of expertise she has listed. I could also choose to click the ‘skip’ button or click on the ‘x’ in the top right corner and dismiss the box.
Clicking on the ‘endorse’ button is about as easy as Liking a Facebook page. Because it’s so easy to click, just how meaningful is it and will you be participating in endorsing on LinkedIn?
- When someone endorses you, a piece of news about you goes through your feed – so it keeps your name out there and fresh
- If people scroll down your profile, they will see how many people have endorsed you by each skill. This number can be hidden, if you wish
- When you endorse someone else, that person gets notified and it’s a nice way to get your name in front of someone you want to be noticed by
- If you’re in a corporation, taking a few minutes to endorse your employees’ or peers’ skills is a nice gesture
- You can take a few minutes and recommend that one of your connections add a skill you type in for them, they can accept or reject it. Since this takes more effort on your part, I think it’s more meaningful.
If you’re not presented with endorsements and you’d like to endorse someone, you can get to it from a profile by clicking the ‘Send a message’ button. Then you’ll get a drop down that gives you several ways to communicate and engage, including the endorsements.
It’s good to see LinkedIn making frequent updates to the software – it’s almost becoming a destination instead of a drive-by. What do you think of the endorsement feature? Will you use it. Please leave a comment.